PARIS — France’s judo team returned from the 2024 European Championships in Zagreb with two gold medals, standout performances from rising stars Kaila Issoufi and Dayyan Boulemtafes, and a surprising early exit for reigning world champion Joan-Benjamin Gaba — a mixed result that left federation president Stéphane Nomis reflecting on what could have been.
“Even without gold, I would have preferred 12 medals,” Nomis told L’Équipe after the competition concluded on April 28, underscoring the high expectations placed on the French squad heading into the continental showdown. While the tally fell short of that ideal, the outcomes in Croatia offered clear signs of progress, vulnerability, and promise for the Olympic cycle ahead.
The French judo delegation secured gold in the women’s -57 kg and men’s -73 kg categories, marking a return to the top step of the podium after a subdued 2023 campaign. Sarah-Léonie Cysique claimed victory in the women’s division, defeating Kosovo’s Nora Gjakova in the final with a decisive ippon via o-soto-gari in the golden score period. Her win marked a significant rebound after a fifth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics and consistent pressure to reclaim elite status.
In the men’s -73 kg class, Lasha Bekauri of Georgia retained his title, but it was the bronze medal match where French interest peaked. Joan-Benjamin Gaba, the 2023 world champion and heavy favorite, suffered a shocking second-round exit to Azerbaijan’s Hidayat Heydarov, losing by waza-ari after a controversial sequence that saw Gaba penalized for non-combativity. Heydarov went on to win silver, while Gaba’s repechage hopes ended with a loss to Moldova’s Denis Vieru, leaving him off the podium entirely.
The defeat sent ripples through the French judo community. Gaba, who had won gold at the 2023 World Championships in Doha and was widely tipped for Olympic glory in Paris 2024, appeared visibly frustrated post-match. “I didn’t fight my judo today,” he said in the mixed zone, according to verified transcripts from the International Judo Federation (IJF). “Too many mistakes. I’ll learn from this.”
While Gaba’s stumble dominated headlines, two younger French athletes delivered performances that signaled a brightening horizon. In the women’s -48 kg category, 19-year-old Kaila Issoufi captured bronze with a series of dynamic throws, including a stunning tomoe-nage against Ukraine’s Daria Bilodid in the quarterfinals. Issoufi, a junior European champion in 2022, became the first French woman to medal in that weight class at the Europeans since 2019.
Similarly, Dayyan Boulemtafes, 20, made waves in the men’s -60 kg division. Though he fell short of a medal, his run included a victory over world number three Luka Mkheidze of France — a rare intra-national clash that highlighted the depth emerging in French judo. Boulemtafes lost in the quarterfinals to eventual bronze winner Yang Yung-wei of Chinese Taipei but showed composure and tactical awareness beyond his years.
“We saw flashes of brilliance from Issoufi and Boulemtafes,” said Nathalie Langlois, head coach of the French national judo team, in a post-event interview with France Télévisions. “They’re not just participating — they’re competing. That’s the standard we need to build on.”
The European Championships served as a critical tuning event for the upcoming Olympic Games, where France will host judo competitions at the Champ de Mars Arena beginning July 27. With automatic qualification as hosts, French athletes are not under Olympic qualification pressure, but the Zagreb results will influence seeding, funding, and internal selection for the home Games.
According to the IJF Olympic rankings updated May 1, Cysique holds the world No. 2 spot in women’s -57 kg, positioning her favorably for a top seed in Paris. Gaba, despite the Zagreb loss, remains ranked No. 1 in men’s -73 kg due to his 2023 world title and strong 2022–2023 circuit performance — a fact that may afford him a favorable bracket, though his recent form will be scrutinized closely by coaches and rivals alike.
Nomis acknowledged the emotional weight of the home Olympics during his L’Équipe interview. “The pressure isn’t just about winning — it’s about representing something bigger,” he said. “We owe it to our athletes, our fans, and the legacy of French judo to be ready.”
France has long been a powerhouse in Olympic judo, earning 57 medals since the sport’s debut in 1964 — second only to Japan. At Tokyo 2020, the French team won four medals, including gold by Clarisse Agbegnenou in the -63 kg class. With Agbegnenou returning after maternity leave and Cysique aiming to add to her Olympic bronze from 2021, expectations are high for a strong showing on home soil.
The Zagreb event also highlighted ongoing challenges in weight-class depth and consistency. While France medaled in five of the 14 Olympic categories, they were shut out in several traditionally strong divisions, including women’s -70 kg and men’s -90 kg. Nomis noted that athlete retention, injury management, and mental preparation will be focal points in the lead-up to Paris 2024.
As the judo world turns its focus toward the Grand Slam events in Antalya and Tbilisi over the next two months, the French squad will use the Zagreb experience as both a benchmark and a motivator. For Issoufi and Boulemtafes, the message is clear: they belong on this stage. For Gaba, the path to redemption begins now — on the mat, in Paris, in front of a home crowd eager to believe.
The next major checkpoint for French judo is the Paris Grand Slam in February 2025, which will serve as a key preparatory event ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle. Until then, athletes will return to national training camps at INSEP, where recovery, analysis, and refinement will take precedence.
What did you consider of France’s performance at the European Judo Championships? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to follow Archysport for continued coverage of the Olympic judo journey.
